Please lift up in prayer all the places in the world where there is war and suffering. Let us redouble our efforts to pray everyday at noon for peace. For the latest on our sisters in the Middle East please click on the websites below.

Flash News: Situation in Lebanon

http://www.buonpastoreint.org/www/media/a-flash06.07.20.pdf

Visit also: http://www.buonpastoreint.org/

Victory! The US Senate voted overwhelmingly to extend the Voting Rights Act for another 25 years.  Most of the act is permanent, but portions must be renewed periodically by Congress. This time the legislation was named for civil rights heroines Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King. This important piece of legislation was passed without amendment 98 to 0.  Two senators did not vote:  Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and Mike Enzi, R-Wyo.

          SUNSET COMMISSION         

If enacted, the sunset commission legislation will impact all nonprofits.  Cutting federal programs that work alongside or in conjunction with the nonprofit sector will place extra burdens on those organizations that provide social services or seek to protect the public interest, even if the nonprofit itself does not receive federal funds. 

Sunset commissions, as created by bills currently in the Senate and House, could allow an unelected, unaccountable body to make decisions about the fate of federal programs without any public input.  None of the bills in Congress require public input and only one requires that the commission hold hearings, but these hearings may be exempt for legal requirements for public access and disclosure.  The programs you care about may be slated for elimination with out you even knowing.

These commissions could work behind closed doors without public input, and legislation “sunsetting” programs would be fast tracked through Congress with little opportunity for debate or amendment.

          ACTION NEEDED           

Call your representative, and tell him or her to vote “No” to sunset legislation. (202) 225-3121 (give the operator your zip code and she’ll connect you to your representative’s office).

Here is an example of what you could say:

“Hello, my name is _________ and I’m from (City, State).  I am very concerned about the sunset commission legislation, H.R. 5766 and H.R. 3282.  Sunset commissions could threaten the federal programs I care about.  This legislation cuts both the public and Congress out of the process of deciding the role of the federal government.  Congress already has the authority to restructure government and giving that authority to an unelected, unaccountable commission is a waste of my tax dollars.  I ask that you vote ‘No’ on sunset commission legislation.”